PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Just a ways south of the Rutgers campus sits one of the numerous Six Flags amusement parks. It has some of the best roller coasters to be found on the East Coast.

UConn has a roller coaster of its own, one it would rather not be riding. It makes the Huskies sick to their stomachs. Way too much up-and-down for their liking.

The Huskies have traversed the last 18 games, going back to the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, without winning consecutive games. Up, down, up, down.

"We definitely want to get off this roller coaster," UConn offensive lineman Adam Masters said. "We haven't been able to get any kind of momentum going in more than a year. It's frustrating. We've shown that we can bounce back off losses, but I'd rather show that we can put something together.

"It would be a good time to do that this week."

The Huskies (3-2) open Big East play today against No. 22 Rutgers (4-0, 1-0 Big East) at High Point Solutions Stadium. UConn hasn't won at Rutgers since 2004 and is a mere 1-18 against ranked teams in its history. It was nearly five years ago that the Huskies recorded that victory against a ranked foe, topping No. 11 South Florida, 22-15, on Oct. 27, 2007.

Today the Huskies would like to end more than just the aforementioned roller coaster ride. There's also the matter of little success against ranked teams and the matter of little success in Big East road games. Since joining the Big East in 2004, the Huskies are just 5-21 in league road games.

Oh, and the Huskies haven't won a Big East opener — road or home — since 2008.

"We don't pay attention to any of that stuff," receiver Nick Williams said. "All we're paying attention to is Rutgers and it's a game we have to win. We have to get off to a good start in the league. We're more focused on the importance of that than anything.

"But it is Rutgers and playing well and winning there means a lot to the guys from New Jersey."

Well, there is that rivalry part of things.

UConn has at least a dozen players from New Jersey, many of whom were completely overlooked by the Scarlet Knights in the recruiting process. Cornerback Dwayne Gratz, who grew up and attended high school in the same town in which Rutgers resides, is particularly juiced for this game.

The Scarlet Knights are the closest thing the Huskies have to a rival in the Big East, which has been largely fractured in some sense since the Huskies joined. The last 10 games have resulted in five victories for each team, seven of them decided by fewer than eight points.

It all adds up to a good atmosphere with the usual odd occurrences a likelihood.

"Games with them are always interesting," said defensive tackle Ryan Wirth, one of UConn's New Jersey natives. "It seems like something strange happens every year. We knocked them out of the BCS last year, so I'm sure they remember that. We remember going down there two years ago and letting one get away from us late in the game.

"We're all ready for this, especially the Jersey guys. It's not just another game because it's our rival but we have to remember to keep our focus this week and not get too hyped up. We just have to play winning football and get something going."

That is the point.

The Huskies face a tough opener, but the two weeks after that bring a visit from Temple and a trip to Syracuse. A win today gives UConn an excellent chance of a good start in the Big East. A loss just keeps the roller coaster ride at top speed.

"We have to get a win, that's it," Gratz said. "We're tired of feeling good about ourselves one week and then not so good the next week. It's time we put something together."

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